NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Quarterbacks rise post-combine, Redskins land pass catcher

The Giants have a need at the quarterback position, as they have been long overdue in replacing Eli Manning as their starter. They could have done it last draft, but they instead opted to go with Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick.

With Manning continuing to fade into the twilight of his career, the team will need to either find a replacement for him in free agency or draft on. In terms of a prospect/team match, Daniel Jones to the Giants makes a lot of sense.

Jones was a very solid college quarterback at Duke. He was coached by David Cutcliffe whose biggest claim to fame was working with the Manning brothers. As a redshirt junior, Jones completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine picks. His numbers would have been better but he was plagued by numerous drops from his subpar supporting cast.

Jones has good footwork, great pocket presence, a very good arm, solid mobility, and great football I.Q. for the next level. He also has a solid frame at 6-5, 220 pounds. He should be able to find success early thanks to his solid short to intermediate accuracy and will face less of a learning curve than other prospects, as he’s coming from a pro-style offense.

Of course, Jones does have some concerns. His delivery needs to be shortened, as his long motion can be the root cause of inaccurate throws, especially on deep balls. That was certainly on display at the combine. Additionally, he can sometimes make poor decisions, whether it’s trying to scramble out of sacks instead of throwing the ball away or forcing throws into very tight windows.

Still, despite these flaws, Jones has a lot of the needed tools to develop into a franchise quarterback. He could start with the Giants and the team could utilize RPOs and a run-heavy offense to let Barkley carry the load while Jones improves. Long-term, that duo could work out, especially because Jones has Carson Wentz-type upside as a starter.